I'm not very convinced about this collection because i don't have the impression to see a HC collection. The shape, volume, material don't be different than rtw collection especially his last collection at Jil Sander. Then, i really think that Raf Simons can widely do better than that. It's ,for me, a perfect collection designed by Bill Gaytten. And please people, we are not more stupid than you, we know haute couture means

Some pieces are really beautiful, some are just too minimalistic. But people in the audience is what is really disturbing... look at their faces... everybody looks Snow queen... common, this haute couture was not so bad...

PARIS — Before a single sculpted skirt swayed down the runway, or a blue shoe stepped daintily forward, or a model pursed her scarlet lips under a light veil and shook her long, flat hair, the debut Christian Dior couture collection from Raf Simons said it with flowers.

Five grand rooms of a classic Parisian mansion were filled Monday with one million blooms: walls thick with white orchids, yellow mimosa and blue delphiniums — just the colors that would appear on the runway as mid-calf dresses curving at the hips, reinterpretations of the famous shapely “Bar” jacket or rounded, short-and-sweet dresses, cut like a chopped-off ballgown and worn over skinny pants.

“I wanted it to be linked to the codes of Christian Dior — but to make it dynamic, modern, energetic,” Mr. Simons, 44, said after the winter 2012 couture show to explain his own historic/modern approach. The blooms were a homage to Mr. Dior’s “Flower Woman” and passion for gardens.

A lot was riding on the show, even the future of Dior’s haute couture, which had sagged since the abrupt departure of John Galliano in spring 2011. The result of Monday’s presentation was not a triumph, but it was a selection of ideas by a designer who has a rare aptitude: to meld modernity with romance.

Mr. Simons made that statement at the start, sending out two black pantsuits — more of an Yves Saint Laurent symbol — and rounding out the tailoring to make it applicable to Dior.

If his point of reference was the architectural 1950s coat, that was updated as a swishing scarlet overcoat cinched by a taut belt. Ball gowns that came out in their mini-versions or ballet length were traced with floral embroideries, all the colors faint or shaded. There might be a surface of soft feathers. Or a vivid pink dress that turned to show an open back, revealing stride-out cigarette pants.

The designer’s skill was, therefore, in deconstruction. But not that take-it-apart idea from the 1990s, but rather the concept of abstracting just one Dior code at a time. With this show done in just three months, Mr. Simons achieved the barely possible: a respectful bow to the heritage of the house, but making the collection seem appropriate for now.

nytimes

__________________we are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams. wandering by lone sea breakers and sitting by desolate streams. world losers and world forsakers, on whom the pale moon gleams. yet we are the movers and shakers of the world for ever it seems

Seeing the HQs.. woah, there is a mind-blowing amount of work gone into some of these pieces, and you can really appreciate them in these pictures.. such absolutely undistated beauty.These silk velvet circles that split into halves either side of a box pleat in chiffon..This incredible interally-structured dress in mink and Persian lamb..
What looks like layers of fabric laser-cut into grids and layered upon each other to create another fabric, in several of the pieces like this.
And god only knows how this is embellished, but to me it looks as if chiffon petals engulf the dress.
To those who say this isn't couture, and without even referencing the amazingly formed tailoring and strutures, this is the subtlest and most modern couture.

I'm so divided on this, although I think Raf's minimalistic vision can totally work for Dior IMO he should have gone a little bit more over the top with shapes and some volume, this is Haute Couture after all...

I'm not very convinced about this collection because i don't have the impression to see a HC collection. The shape, volume, material don't be different than rtw collection especially his last collection at Jil Sander. Then, i really think that Raf Simons can widely do better than that. It's ,for me, a perfect collection designed by Bill Gaytten. And please people, we are not more stupid than you, we know haute couture means

Which aspect of the construction or fabric is RTW and not Haute Couture?

What's irritating is that people saw a double-breasted red coat-dress once at Ann Taylor once and think they're seeing the same here and declare that this isn't "haute couture". They probably look at a bespoke suit and declare it's nothing special because they have seen the exact same style at Brooke's Brothers.

Without extravagant flourishes that look mystifying, it is assumed it isn't haute couture. This is completely insulting to the designers and staff who labor for hours to construct toiles, mold seams, hand-cut every piece, hand-stitch every last detail to perfection.

omg if i could have these negative comments put on paper i would rip them to shreds. Couture is about exvlusitivity, extremely custom fit design, handmade details with luxury garments. you all think that its all about extreme volume and hooker high heels like versace...go look at a couture archivr once in awhile.

Oh my, I'm speechless! This is so beautiful, just my kind of classy minimalism. I'd wear every single piece from this collection(excpet the prints..)! It's true that it's not the Dior I was used to, all that circus with Galliano etc., but come on guys, somebody find me a rich husband so I get to wear these

Be respectful. It’s perfectly fine to disagree with others as long as it is done respectfully and maturely, but do not attack other members in your posts or comments. Name-calling or harassment of other members is absolutely not tolerated here and may result in suspension.

Which aspect of the construction or fabric is RTW and not Haute Couture?

What's irritating is that people saw a double-breasted red coat-dress once at Ann Taylor once and think they're seeing the same here and declare that this isn't "haute couture". They probably look at a bespoke suit and declare it's nothing special because they have seen the exact same style at Brooke's Brothers.

Without extravagant flourishes that look mystifying, it is assumed it isn't haute couture. This is completely insulting to the designers and staff who labor for hours to construct toiles, mold seams, hand-cut every piece, hand-stitch every last detail to perfection.

" i don't have the impression [...] haute couture " that's all and ** and you may see that many looks are in his last collection at Jil Sander. ***
Please see post above you. Thank you.

Wish I'd have the time to read the whole thread and read more criticism because I jumped straight to the HQs + details of the collection and anything that's in my head right now is adulation. I feel like someone has finally packed up all the notions of haute couture and brought them to present time, the tailored suits combined with all saccharine elements has not been paired with such precision and.. beauty since.. ever. I cannot remember a single designer that ventured into this 'princess gown' territory and didn't overdo it or reduced a woman to a window display on legs, or a designer that did fantastic suits from beginning to end (Yohji Yamamoto 2003) leaving little room for elements that are almost scary for all the clichés that surrounds them. Even the furry dresses here are so perfectly made that it's hard to think of a woman wearing them and getting overpowered by them and/or not looking incredible.

This seems like a follow-up to what Christian Dior was doing back in the day.. I think he'd be pleased, cause all the experiments are still happening in details, discreetly just like his work, and they're very likely evolve in the coming seasons.

This collection is respectful to Monsieur Dior and Simons definitely understands the house. This is his first collection here and it's Couture. Putting such incredible collection as this gives a promising future for further collections. So subtle yet detailed and perfectly classy.